Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a baseball or softball catching tool, and particularly to a baseball or softball catching tool having a connection portion between a plurality of leather members.
Description of the Background Art
For example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2012-192207 conventionally discloses a baseball or softball catching tool having a configuration in which a plurality of (for example, two) leather members on the ball catching plane side are connected by a leather string. According to Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2012-192207, two leather members forming a ball catching plane side of the ball catching tool are connected at outer edge portions extending along the outer peripheral portions of these leather members in a wrist portion covering the user's wrist by a leather string wound around the outer peripheral portions of the outer edge portions. Furthermore, similarly in the wrist portion, these two leather members are connected also in each outer peripheral portion of each web portion provided between a portion receiving the user's thumb and a portion receiving the user's forefinger.
However, according to the ball catching tool disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2012-192207, when the user performs an action to close its palm for catching a ball while wearing this ball catching tool, it becomes difficult for the user to cause the ball catching tool to follow the movement of the user's hand and bend this ball catching tool in the outer peripheral portions of the wrist portion and the web portion. This is because the outer peripheral portions of the leather members are connected by the leather string winding around these outer peripheral portions, and thereby, hardened. When the ball catching tool is difficult to be bent in this way, it may be difficult for the user to carry out a ball catching action using this ball catching tool.
The present invention has been made in light of the above-described problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a baseball or softball catching tool that is readily bent and readily caused to follow the movement of the user's hand (that is, easy to use).